1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the development of a nutraceutical composition for the prevention and protection of photodamage to the skin and eyes resulting from solar or solar simulated radiation.
2. Related Art
Exposure of human skin to sunlight and, in particular, to the ultraviolet band of the spectrum, has many deleterious effects, including sunburn, erythema, photoallergic reactions, photoaging, hyperpigmentation, and the promotion of skin cancers. Sunlight induced non-melanoma skin cancer is a major cancer in the United States and in other temperate parts of the world. Solar radiation also has been suggested as one of the etiological factors in the development of degenerative diseases of the eyes, such as, age-related macular degeneration and cataract formation. Epidemiological studies have revealed a close correlation between photochemical damage and macular degeneration (Schalch, W., EXS, 62:280-98, 1992). Similarly, cataract formation is mainly due to changes in the lens proteins continually exposed to solar radiation (Varma, S. D., Chand, D., Sharma, Y. R., Kuck, J. F., and Richards, R. D., Current Eye Res., 3:35, 1984). The risks of over-exposure to UV radiation will become greater with continued depletion of stratospheric ozone. The deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation have been attributed largely to the generation of free radicals, such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide.
As a result of concerns about the deleterious effects of over-exposure to sunlight, much research has been directed to the development of both topical and systemic photoprotective agents. Topical sunscreens or sunblockers physically block the sunlight from reaching the skin surface; some of them also may contain natural antioxidants and/or anti-inflammatory agents. Nutritional and pharmaceutical supplements, on the other hand, enhance the endogenous defense mechanisms at a cellular level, in addition to acting as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. A number of formulations containing antioxidant vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts either in the form of soft drinks, tablets for oral ingestion, or injections have been reported or patented (Pathak, M. A., "Topical and Systemic Photoprotection of Human Skin Against Solar Radiation", in H. W. Lim and N. A. Sotek, (eds.), Clinical Photomedicine, New York, Marcel Dekker, Inc. (1993); Pathak, et al, 1997; Wei, 1998; Shapira, 1998). However, none of the supplements address all the aspects of the afflictions caused by solar radiation.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,168 discloses a pharmaceutical composition consisting broadly of an antioxidant component comprising ascorbic acid, proanthocyanidins from grape seed, vitamin A, ginkgo biloba, and silymarin, an anti-inflammatory component, comprising zinc/vitamin E, an immune boosting component comprising echinacea and/golden seal, in addition to .beta.-carotene, minerals such as selenium, magnesium, and manganese, a cysteine component, and various herbs. The composition, however, does not address specific effects such as UV induced hyperpigmentation or damage to the eyes.